In this review, we will be comparing Grande Utopia EM Evo and Maestro Utopia Evo, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo and Focal Maestro Utopia Evo first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo | Focal Maestro Utopia Evo |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 4-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Inverted Dome | 1.1" Inverted Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 6.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 16" W sandwich | 2 x 10.5" W sandwich |
|---|
| Frequency response | 18-40k Hz | 25-40k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-1500 watts | 25-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 265.00kg / 583lbs | 116.00kg / 255.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 79-3/16" x 25-3/4" x 34-5/8"
2012.0 x 654.0 x 880.0mm | 57-7/8" x 30-5/16" x 17-15/16"
1470.0 x 770.0 x 455.0mm |
|---|
Grande Utopia EM Evo and Maestro Utopia Evo are members of Focal's Utopia III Evo series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Focal Utopia III Evo Series
History
What size room are the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo and Focal Maestro Utopia Evo speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo |
Focal Maestro Utopia Evo |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Good |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Grande Utopia EM Evo is a 4-way design whereas the Maestro Utopia Evo is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Focal Grande Utopia EM EvoFocal Maestro Utopia Evo
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo |
Focal Maestro Utopia Evo |
|
Driver Setup
|
4-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 16-inch
|
2 x 10.5-inch
|
Grande Utopia EM Evo features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 16" W sandwich Woofer. On the other hand, the Maestro Utopia Evo features a 1.1" Beryllium Inverted Dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 10.5" W sandwich Woofer.
Frequency Response
Grande Utopia EM Evo has a frequency range of 18-40k Hz whereas Maestro Utopia Evo has a frequency range of 25-40k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 18Hz, the Grande Utopia EM Evo can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Maestro Utopia Evo's min frequency of 25Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Impedance and Sensitivity
Grande Utopia EM Evo and Maestro Utopia Evo have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Grande Utopia EM Evo sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the Maestro Utopia Evo's is at 93 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal Maestro Utopia Evo, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Grande Utopia EM Evo can handle a max power of 1500 watts RMS, whereas Maestro Utopia Evo has a max power handling value of 600 watts RMS, 900 watts less than the Grande Utopia EM Evo.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Grande Utopia EM Evo and Maestro Utopia Evo features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo's and Focal Maestro Utopia Evo's external dimensions. Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo has external dimensions of 2012.0 x 654.0 x 880.0mm (79-3/16 x 25-3/4 x 34-5/8inch) whereas Focal Maestro Utopia Evo has external dimensions of 1470.0 x 770.0 x 455.0mm (57-7/8 x 30-5/16 x 17-15/16inch).
Focal Maestro Utopia Evo is 542mm shorter and 425mm less deeper than Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo but it is also 116mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo needs about 64% more floor or shelf area. Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is 425mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is 542mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is approximately 5755.2cm2 / 892.1inch2 and base area of the Focal Maestro Utopia Evo is approximately 3503.5cm2 / 543.0inch2. The Grande Utopia EM Evo requires 64% more surface area than the Maestro Utopia Evo which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo weighs 265.00kg / 583lbs and the Focal Maestro Utopia Evo weighs 116.00kg / 255.2lbs. This makes the Grande Utopia EM Evo 128% heavier than the Maestro Utopia Evo.
Here is a comparison of how Grande Utopia EM Evo and Maestro Utopia Evo's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo
 Max Input Power |
1500 watts
vs
600 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
4-way
vs
3-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
93 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
16 inches
vs
10.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
18 Hz
vs
25 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1470mm
vs
2012mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
3503cm2
vs
5755cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
79998USD
vs
299998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo |
Focal Maestro Utopia Evo |
| Brand |
Focal |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
50-1500 watts |
25-600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
94 dB |
93 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
18-40k Hz |
25-40k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
16" |
10.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
W sandwich |
W sandwich |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Inverted Dome |
Inverted Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6.5" |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
2012.0mm (79.2") |
1470.0mm (57.9") |
| Width |
654.0mm (25.7") |
770.0mm (30.3") |
| Depth |
880.0mm (34.6") |
455.0mm (17.9") |
| Weight |
265.00kg (583lbs) |
116.00kg (255.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
|
| Labor Warranty |
|
|
Siblings in Focal's Utopia III Evo series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo digs deeper - 18Hz against 25Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (94dB vs 93dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | A | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo takes more power (1500W vs 600W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Focal Maestro Utopia Evo is easier to place; Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo: bi-amping; Focal Maestro Utopia Evo: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | Focal Maestro Utopia Evo is cheaper - $79,998 against $299,998, about 73% less; arguably a different class. |
A Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo B Focal Maestro Utopia Evo
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo measures better, Focal Maestro Utopia Evo costs about about 3.8x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 25Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Focal Maestro Utopia Evo much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Focal Grande Utopia EM Evo has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Focal Maestro Utopia Evo is the easier speaker to get right.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.